(v. 168) 23. For perfume mix meal & honey & thick leavings of red wine: then oil of Abramelin and olive oil, and afterward soften & smooth down with rich fresh blood.(v. 169) 24. The best blood is of the moon, monthly: then the fresh blood of a child, or dropping from the host of heaven: then of enemies; then of the priest or of the worshippers: last of some beast, no matter what.

The incense of Ra-Hoor-Khuit contrasts markedly with that of Nuit. They share, of course, some similarities - for example, each upholds the Abramelin tradition in one way or the other - but his explicitly contains blood, and hers explicitly does not, at least not animal blood. With Ra-Hoor-Khuit, we explicitly stir up the animal element; for he “hast been let down into the Animal Soul of things,” if I remember my Liber 65 correctly.

These are usually regarded as six ingredients; but if the olive oil is understood to be a component of the Abramelin Oil, we have five ingredients, with blood, the “activating agent,” being Spirit, and the others relating to the four elements via the four lower sephiroth.

Meal, of course, is easy, being of Earth and Malkuth. Honey’s sweetness suggests Venus, and bees are attributed to Venus (by legend, they came to earth from Venus), and honey is in several ways tied into sexual reproduction; so it seems, all ’round, to relate to Netzach, with some Yesod qualities. The “leavings of red wine” are a sedimentation. This resembles Earth again, and especially the “salt” of the wine (as the alcohol is its “mercury,” &c.). Redness is probably here because it takes red wine to have such “leavings;” but its similarity to blood would be appropriate for Horus. The oil of Abramelin is a very exalted substance, combining myrrh and cinnamon and galangal - Binah and Tiphereth and a root of the earth - in a perfume base. Perfume implies Air, and in many ways this compound corresponds well to Yesod. Therefore, I think we have meal as Earth and Malkuth, oil of Abramelin as Air and Yesod, thick leavings of red wine as Water and Hod, and honey as Netzach and Fire. Blood, which is the essence of life, is Spirit, Shin, and the “activating ingredient,” corresponding to Tiphereth.

This is to be used as incense. (Only later does the Book refer to this substance as being useful for cakes.) There is probably also a subtle meaning as well. The real incense - that which inwardly rises up in aspiration to the highest - is composed of the four elements symbolically, to which one adds one’s own lifeblood, one’s passion and fervor.

Notice that the blood is to be “rich” and “fresh.” The vitality is strongest at the time of shedding.

(v. 169) 24. The best blood is of the moon, monthly: then the fresh blood of a child, or dropping from the host of heaven: then of enemies; then of the priest or of the worshippers: last of some beast, no matter what.

This is a Yesod verse, and commences with an important mystery of the Moon.

What kind of blood to use? They are given in the order of quality.

The first, of course, is menstrual blood. Why is it the best? A partial answer is that there are certain tantric teachings of its virtue, and these seem supportable in at least some instances. But also, this blood is given freely and without loss of existing life.

The colons and semicolons segregate the “blood types” here. Therefore, the second type is, “the fresh blood of a child, or dropping from the host of heaven.” The latter part of the phrase links it unmistakably to manna, the sole food of the Isrælites in their 40-year sojourn under Moses’ leadership. Given obligations I have taken, I can do nothing more (since others will read this) than say that it takes two to make a child. (I can at least say that, no, this is not baby's blood!)

The third type is the blood of enemies. This is interesting! By surface implication it means blood spilled in violent conflict with an enemy. Whether or not it is advised, this is tremendously powerful by tradition (and, a dim and distant memory insists, it is so in practice). Only the former two exceed its virtue. (I’m aware of a quite different level of meaning here, which I have never taken the time to write up properly. It answers the question: What if this blood, like the two before and the first one after, is also taken without injury or loss of life.)